Drapery hanging assembly



g- 19, 1952 s. VANCE ET AL 2,607,412

DRAPERY HANGING ASSEMBLY Filed May -11, 1949 A 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: JOHN SELBY VANCE TER CHAR SVANCE Aug. 19, 1952 Filed May 11, 1949 FiG.6

FIG. 9

I INVENTORS: JOHN SELBY VANCE WALT ER CHA ES VANCE- B Ma v ATT'YS Aug. 19, 1952 s VANCE r 2,607,412

' DRAPERY HANGING ASSEMBLY Filed May 11, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 20

INVENTORS:

JOHN SHELBY VANCE WALTER CHA ES VANCE ATT'YS Patented Aug. 19, 1952 or'FicE 'DRAPERY HANGING ASSEMBLY John Selby Vance. and Walter Charles Vance,

Chicago, Ill.

:Application May'll, 1949; SerialNo. 9253?;

(C1. mil-+3.48)

ZrClaims. 1

.Thislinventionis directed to new and useful improvements in drapery hanging assembly wherbyflraperies can be'hung in association withi'windows, doorways or walls in even pleats OrfffOldS with ease,-=may Joe-readily taken down foncleaning and can be 'replaced with little effort.

.The primary objector '-.this invention is to provide an .assembly 'of this nature which is simple .and inexpensive and I can 'be utilized by a :person without special skill.

.A' further object of this-invention is'to provide a combination or elementswhich when assembled together will produce regular and attractive drapery "folds or' pleats.

.Still :a further object of this invention is to provide :an assembly comprising a combination ofidrapery supporting-meanswhereby the drapery isheld. in pleasant-graceful folds or pleats without requiring tedious and skillful manual 'ad justments.

..O.ther: objects. and advantages will be apparent from the following-detailed-specification ..In ithe drawings:

.l Lisa. front -elevatinal=viewshowing "an installed .drapery having. horizontal and vertical folds resulting from the utilization of one "form of zthis invention. r

Fig. .-2'-isa bottom plan-"view of "the "drapery shown in' Fig-l showing its shape andsecuring elements fastened thereto.

.:Fig. "3-is -a front elevationalview "-ofthe' space to. be. decorated bythe drapery of Fig. l-showing the securing brackets in position.

...Fig...4;isaa side elevational view of cne ofthe supporting brackets-shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational-viewofthe bracket of Figziizwith the drapery s ecured thereto.

..Fig.i6 is.=a.=front*e1evational viewbfa pair of installed draperies having "only vertical pleats resulting from the" utilization "of a. modification of this'invention. g

7 is-anenlarged rean elevational .view. of the top portion of one 'of the pair of draperies shown in Fig. 6 showing its securing means.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged front .elevational view-of one of the bracketsto which the drapery of-Fig. 7

is secured.

'Fig l9. is a cross-sectionalview of the drapery ofjFigI'Z. secured to theibracket of. Fig.1),

Fig. 10 is an enlarged-viewer one of the pair of securing means on the bracket.

Fig. 11 is a rear elevational view of'a mounted vertically folded or pleated drape using another embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view on'line i 2|-2 Of'Fig. 11.

Fig. l-3 is-a front'elevational 'view-of-one of the securingelements or -Fig. 11.

Fig. l4 is a rear-'elevational view'oi' theelement of=Fig.--11.

Fig. 15 is an-=-enlarge'd sectional view of one of the attachingsupportingelements-assembled on the drapery of F-i'grll.

Indetail, referring to the embodimentillustratedin Figs. 1 to 5, the drapery-lis-cut-the length necessary to extend across the top-and down the sidesof the-space to be decoratedand a width corresponding --to about the length of the fabric tapes =2- and the ends may be angled as shown. 'The tapes -Z are then sewn to the reverse side of drapery l anequal distance'from each end and spaced apart at its top adistance equal to the distance betweenthe tops-of the brackets 3. The tapes- 2 angle toward each other as shown,--so that they-are closer together atthe bottom of the drapery. Thisis preferable in order to control, or-minimize, the amount of dip of the drapery-between the two brackets, atits bottom edge. I

The tapes -2-are providedwith-a plurality of equally spaced female snap fasteners-40f usual construction. Y I

Brackets 3 are removablysecured to the'framework 4' by-means of supports-fiwhi-ch-are provided with channels to receive'the depending end 6 andbolt-l or bracket -3. The channel on each support--5 has an enlarged circular opening to receive the head of bolt'l'to-permitbracket 3 to be positioned'thereon-andmoved-to its supporting -position as shown, and tobe'removed easily when desired. The-specific -means "of removably mounting brackets ;3 to supports 5 is unimportant, *form no "part *of-tliis. invention and many variations are well known to those. skilled in the art.

Brackets-Bare formed with a loop' portion-8 rat the top to'for-m the initial fold when the drapery is installed. 1Vale-snap fastenersfl of 1 a number corresponding to'the' fasteners-on each of the tapes 2 are secured on each bracket 3, one on the top surface adjacent the loop 8 and the remaining on the vertically depending portion II] in equal spaced relation but of a distance less than the distance between the snaps on the tape 2.

After the drapery I has been cut and finished to the size and shape as directed and the tapes sewn in position it is ready for installation on the brackets 3 which are removed from the supports 5. The topfastener on each tape is then snapped onto the top fastener on each bracket, the drapery folded around loops -8 and the second from the top fasteners snapped to the fasteners immediately under the loops 8 on the brackets 3. Thus the first fold is formed. The next fasteners on the tape 2 are then snapped to the next fasteners on the brackets 3. There being a greater distance between the second and third fasteners on the tapes than between the second and third fasteners on the brackets the drapery must be formed into a fold corresponding to the first one in order to permit the corresponding tape fasteners to be snapped to the corresponding bracket fasteners. Thus all the tape fasteners are secured to the bracket fasteners and the drapery assumes the folded position shown in Fig. 5. a

When this is completed brackets 3 may be mounted on supports and with a minimum of manual adjustment the drapery I appears as shown in Fig. 1.

The ease of assembly is apparent and once accomplished the appearance of the drapery with its equal graceful folds cannot be disturbed. Yet it can be removed for cleaning by reversing the process quickly and with a minimum of effort. Once the tapes are sewn in position they need never be removed for laundering or cleaning will not affect them or the fasteners.

Referring now to the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 10, the draperies II are cut and finished to a length desired and to a width corresponding to the length of tape I2, which is provided with a plurality of female fasteners I3 of usual construction, arranged in equally spaced vertical pairs as shown in Fig. 7. The tapes I2 are then sewn to the reverse sides of the tops of the draperies I I. 7

Supporting brackets I 4 are shorter than the width of draperies II and are provided with a plurality of male snap fasteners I5 arranged in vertical pairs as shown in Fig. 8. These fasteners I5 are arranged in a plurality of horizontal pairs I6 spaced together a distance less than the distance between the fasteners I3 on-tape I2. Securing means I1, such as screws, extend through brackets I 4 for fastening them to the frame of the space to be decorated by the draperies or any supporting means may be secured thereto for fastening the assembly to swinging cranes or curtain rods of many varieties.

The male snap fasteners I5 are mounted on brackets I4 in vertical slots I8, as shown in Fig. 10, so as to.- be adjustable vertically. This is for the purpose of permitting the fasteners I3 on tape I2 to besecured to fasteners I5 even though tape I2 may shrink vertically due to cleaning.

Supporting brackets I4 are secured in a horizontal position to the frame of the space to be decorated at its upper corners. The fasteners I3 on the tapes are then snapped onto the fasteners I5 on the brackets I4. Because of the difference in spacing between the pairs of fastenersIB on the bracket and the fasteners I3 on the tape the drapery is pleated or folded, as

shown in- Fig. 9 to produce the effect shown in Fig. 6. Thus the forming of the pleats or folds is automatic and regular and will be maintained. The draperies II can be unsnapped for cleaning and replaced with little effort.

Now referring to the modification shown in Figs. 11 to 15, by means of which a similar result is obtained as in Fig. 6, the draperies I9 are prepared in a similar manner with tape 20 sewn to the reverse top edge. Tape 20 has similar vertical pairs of equally spaced female snap fasteners 2| as shown in Fig. 7.

Instead of bracket I4, there are provided a plurality of rectangular card-like plastic, cardboard, fibre, metal or wire securing elements 22, each having two pairs of male snap fasteners 23, spaced vertically the same distance as the fasteners but horizontally closer together than those on the tape 20. Vertical slots 24 in elements or cards 22 permit vertical movement of fasteners 23 so even though tapes 20 should shrink vertically the corresponding fasteners on the tape and cards can be secured together. Supporting hooks or pins 25 are fastened to the back of cards 22.

In this modification the fasteners 23 onthe cards 22 are snapped onto a pair of adjacent fasteners 2| of thetape 20. Due to the difference in the spacing of the fasteners the drapery I9 must be pleated or folded as shown in Figs. 12 and 15. When this has been done the reverse side of the drapery appears as shown in Fig; 11.

The completed assembly may then be hung where desired, the hooks 25 providing means forsuspending the draperies, to traverse rods, cranes or a curtain rod 26 which is fastened to the window or door frame in the usual manner.

It is obvious that the plurality of cards or se-- curing elements 22 may be formed as a continuous strip of a length corresponding to bracket I4 of Fig. 8 with the fasteners positioned in a similar manner, without departing from this in-' vention, but for ease of assembly it is preferable to utilize the individual card fasteners.

We claim: 1

1. A drapery supporting and pleating device comprising a flexible tape secured to a drapery, a plurality of equi-spaced pairs of fasteners carried by the tape, a plurality of pleating and supporting plates, each plate carrying two pairs of fasteners extending from one face thereof said fasteners being adjustably'mounted to permit the distance between them to be varied, each set of pairs being spaced closer laterally than the corresponding fasteners on the tape, the pairs of fasteners on the tape secured to those on the plates to hold the plates against and in alignment with the body of the tape whereby the tape is held in pleats at each plate and theparts of the tape extending between each plate areheld in generalalignment. I T

2. A pleated drapery assembly comprising a drape folded at intervals adjacent the top edge to form pleats and unpleated portions, a flexible tape secured adjacent a top-edge of the drape, a plurality of equi-spaced fasteners secured to the rear of theunpleated portion of the tape adjacent each side of each. pleat, a-plurality of substantially rigid pleating and backing members having front and rear faces, each such member carrying fasteners extending outwardly from the front face thereof, said fasteners being.

spaced closer laterally fasteners on the 'tape, tending outwardly from than the corresponding the rear face thereof,

a supporting hook ex-.

5 the fasteners on the tape secured to those on the backing members to hold the backing members against and in alignment with the unpleated body of the tape whereby the tape is held in pleats at each backing member with each member extending across the pleated portions and the parts of the tape extending between each backing members are held in general alignment by such members.

JOHN SELBY VANCE. WALTER CHARLES VANCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I '6 UNITED STATES PATENI'S Number Number Name Date Guider Aug. 28, 1923 De Lisle June 17, 1930 Falkenberg Oct. 15, 1946 Muench Dec. 20, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 15, 1906 Great Britain 1912 France Aug. 11, 1930 

